If you’re a business owner, installing heat pumps is probably one of the last things on your mind. What you don’t know is helps you generate income. It keeps your employees healthy and happy.
The Gravity of Stress and Absenteeism in the Workplace
Workplace stress is a growing concern in New Zealand. In one of the recent wellness reports, around 23% of the employers cited an increase in feelings of anxiety and stress. This problem affected at least 5% of all employees.
More prominent companies were also more likely to experience stress than smaller ones. The difference could be as high as 30.5%. Many factors contribute to workplace stress. The three most common ones are:
- Workload
- Long working hours
- Poor work-life balance
Sickness, though, also contributes to workplace stress. Most companies offer sick leaves, but the report suggested several ill individuals continued to work. When stress becomes chronic, it can lead to absenteeism, and this costs money. In 2016, it accounted for $1.5 billion of economic costs.
What Does a Heat Pump Got to Do with It?
Mitigating workplace stress promotes not only productivity but also the better well-being of your employees. Many studies already show the deep connection between health and happiness.
Happy employees, meanwhile, tend to be more focused, active, and engaged. Usually, when you want to reduce workplace stress, you reduce their workloads. Some tech companies these days provide resting areas or sleeping pods.
One of the practical ways to manage stress is through an effective heating system. When heat circulates well inside the room, the space becomes cozier and homier.
It can mimic the hygge lifestyle. Hyggeism is a traditional philosophy in Danish and Norwegian countries. It denotes the feeling of warmth, coziness, and intimacy. All these can impact health by lowering feelings of stress and increasing the sense of contentment and wellness.
Heating can also help fight one of the often-ignored villains in the workplace: mold. Granted, many types of mold can grow in the workplace, and they might not cause serious health problems for the employees.
Some employees, however, can be sensitive to molds. People prone to asthma are one of them. A 2019 study revealed that people with uncontrolled asthma experienced significant productivity loss than those with controlled asthma. These can result in absenteeism.
As mentioned, many people turned up sick. The presence of molds can aggravate their condition due to a lower immune system. It can extend their recovery periods. It also increases the chances of spreading the virus to the rest of the employees.
Mold can grow and multiply fast, but it needs the perfect environment to do it. It requires a cold, dark, and damp area. Proper heating doesn’t only prevent the buildup of moisture. It also regulates humidity. High humidity levels can make the workplace feel uncomfortable and trap moisture.
Creating a more relaxing and pleasing environment for your workers can help combat stress. The good news is you don’t need to provide something expensive. It can be as simple and as necessary as proper heating.
